Bolthole Index

Floyd County, Indiana

Building permits, zoning and septic in Georgetown Township, Indiana

Unincorporated Georgetown Township, Indiana requires Floyd County building permits for homes, additions, renovations and accessory structures, with county zoning standards also applying.12 Inside the incorporated Town of Georgetown, apply for a building permit at Town Hall; Floyd County reviews applications and handles inspections.3 Residential septic permits in Georgetown Township come from the Floyd County Health Department.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required in the county-administered portion; town addresses apply at Town Hall13
Zoning
County districts apply to unincorporated land; incorporated Georgetown is excluded2
Septic permits
Floyd County Health Department; soil evaluation and site inspection required45
Minimum lot size
Unincorporated AR: 2 acres; RR: 37,000 square feet67
Water connections
Public water required in unincorporated AR and RR; septic or sewer allowed8
RV floodplain standards
Unincorporated floodplain sites have duration and highway-readiness conditions; not permission to live in an RV9
Before moving in
Certificate of Occupancy required for county-zoned development10

Who to call

Building permits

Floyd County Department of Building & Development Services

Building permits and inspections for the county-administered portion of Georgetown Township

(812) 981-7611

Pine View Government Center 2524 Corydon Pike, Suite 203 New Albany, IN 47150

Zoning

Floyd County Plan Commission

Zoning administration and variance review for unincorporated Georgetown Township

Building permits

Floyd County Building & Development Services

Application submission, zoning inquiries and building-permit status

812-981-7611

[email protected]

Building permits

Town of Georgetown Town Hall

Building-permit applications and payment for incorporated Georgetown; county review and inspections

(812) 951-3012

9111 State Road 64 PO Box 127 Georgetown, IN 47122

Septic permits

Floyd County Health Department

Residential septic permits, inspections and site approvals

812-948-4726

[email protected]

1917 Bono Road New Albany, IN 47150

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Georgetown Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Georgetown Township, IN?

In the county-administered portion of Georgetown Township, a new home, addition, renovation or accessory structure needs a Floyd County building permit.1 A new dwelling needs a septic permit or sewer tap-in receipt, and a site plan prepared by an Indiana licensed surveyor or engineer.1 Additions, rehabs and accessory structures on septic need a Health Department site approval permit.1 Indiana’s statewide residential code also applies to qualifying residential construction; the local application process does not replace state construction standards.11

Who handles Georgetown Township building permits and zoning?

For unincorporated Georgetown Township building permits, contact Floyd County Building & Development Services at (812) 981-7611.112 County applications and inspection requests can be emailed to [email protected], and the same office answers application-status and inspection-result inquiries.13 The Floyd County Plan Commission administers zoning ordinances, while the Board of Zoning Appeals handles appeals and variance requests.14 For an address inside incorporated Georgetown, apply and pay at Town Hall; the town forwards the application to Floyd County for review, and county staff handle inspections.3 Septic remains a separate Health Department approval.4

What zoning and lot sizes apply in Georgetown Township?

Unincorporated Georgetown Township falls under Floyd County zoning districts; the incorporated Town of Georgetown is excluded from that ordinance.2 Confirm the parcel’s district on the official zoning map before choosing a house site or dividing land.2 In the Agricultural-Residential district, the minimum residential lot area is 2 acres; Rural Residential requires 37,000 square feet.67 Both districts require public water connection and allow either septic or sanitary sewer.8 A rural lot in either district therefore does not offer a fully independent water option merely because septic is allowed.8

How do septic permits work in Georgetown Township?

The Floyd County Health Department handles residential on-site sewage permits and inspections in Georgetown Township.4 Construction, installation, replacement, alteration, repair or expansion of a residential septic system requires department approval, with a soil evaluation when an absorption field is installed or modified and a site survey inspection before permit issuance.5 Floyd County’s soil data rates 0% of soils “not limited” for conventional drain fields; that countywide screening figure is not a finding that septic is impossible on a particular township parcel.15 Arrange the site evaluation before treating a lot as buildable.5 Indiana prohibits drywells and cesspools as on-site sewage treatment.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Georgetown Township?

The confirmed RV provision for unincorporated Georgetown Township concerns floodplain placement: a vehicle on site for less than 180 days must be licensed, ready for highway use, connected only with quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and have no permanently attached additions; longer placement must meet the floodplain manufactured-home requirements.9 Those floodplain standards do not establish permission to occupy an RV as a home.9 Ask Floyd County Building & Development Services about the proposed use and district before planning an RV stay or tiny dwelling on unincorporated land.12 We could not confirm a township-specific tiny-home or temporary-camping allowance; for incorporated Georgetown, start with Town Hall.3

What are the steps to build a home in Georgetown Township?

For county-administered land, follow this sequence:

  • Confirm the zoning district and public-water requirements before selecting a home layout.28
  • Obtain septic approval or a sewer tap-in receipt, and commission the required surveyor or engineer site plan.1
  • Assemble building plans, the deed or purchase contract, and the application attachments; submit online or in person.17
  • Budget the residential building-permit fee of $200 plus $0.15 per square foot, with $50 per inspection; starting construction before issuance doubles the permit amount.18
  • Obtain the required Certificate of Occupancy before occupying county-zoned development.10

For incorporated Georgetown, submit the building-permit application through Town Hall.3

What should you check before buying Georgetown Township land?

Public water is required for residential development in unincorporated Georgetown Township’s AR and RR districts, even when a septic system is allowed.8 We could not confirm a local private-well permit requirement; ask the Floyd County Health Department, and use an Indiana-licensed well driller where a well is appropriate.1920 A driveway connection to an Indiana state highway needs permission through INDOT’s electronic permit system.21 Most floodway development also falls under Indiana DNR Division of Water jurisdiction, subject to exemptions and additional local requirements.22 For the surrounding county’s unincorporated-land guidance, see Floyd County.2

Watch-outs

  • Do not send an incorporated Georgetown building-permit application straight to the county counter: Town Hall accepts the application and payment, with county review and inspections.3
  • Public water connection is required in unincorporated AR and RR districts even where septic is allowed.8
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption for Georgetown Township; ask Floyd County Building & Development Services before treating self-built work as exempt.12

Sources

  1. Floyd County Residential Building Permit Process (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town of Georgetown Town Hall (in.gov)
  4. Floyd County Health Department Septic Systems (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Floyd County Ordinance 1997-FeO-XI (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Floyd County Zoning Ordinance (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Rules of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Floyd County Department of Building & Development Services (in.gov)
  13. Floyd County Building & Development Services (in.gov)
  14. Floyd County Plan Commission (in.gov)
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. 410 IAC 6-8.3 Residential On-Site Sewage Systems (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Floyd County Residential Building Permit Process (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. Floyd County Building and Development Services Fees (Georgetown Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Floyd County Health Department (in.gov)
  20. Recommended Standards For Private Water Wells (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. INDOT Driveway Permit Guide 2024 (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Water: Community Assistance & Information (Indiana statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Georgetown Township

Rules another office applies inside Georgetown Township

Georgetown Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    New single-family dwellings, additions, renovations/rehabs, and accessory structures in the Floyd County-administered portion of Georgetown township.

    • The process requires the application and listed supporting documents.
    • For new dwellings, submit a septic permit or sewer tap-in receipt.
    • For accessory structures, rehabs, or additions on septic, submit an FCHD site approval permit.
    • New single-family dwellings require a site plan from an Indiana licensed surveyor or engineer.
    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.
    “To obtain a building permit in Floyd County”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Applications and development subject to the Floyd County Zoning Ordinance in the unincorporated portion of Georgetown township.

    • The zoning ordinance expressly excludes the incorporated Town of Georgetown.
    • Additional floodplain conditions may require a recorded deed restriction as a condition of final certificate issuance.
    “until a Certificate of Occupancy shall have been issued”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Floyd County zoning districts applicable to the county-administered portion of Georgetown township.

    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.
    • District applicability must be confirmed on the official zoning map for the parcel.
    • The ordinance states the most restrictive applicable provision controls when multiple regulations apply.
    “Agricultural-Residential (AR) [...] Rural Residential (RR) [...] Residential Suburban (RS) [...] Multi-Family (MF) [...] Neighborhood Commercial (NC) [...] General Commercial (GC) [...] Highway Service (HS) [...] Office Business (OB)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential lots in the Agricultural-Residential (AR) district in the unincorporated portion of Georgetown township.

    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.

    minimum lot area: >= 87120 square feet (2 acres)

    “Minimum Lot Area 87,120 Square Feet ( 2 Acres) Minimum Lot Width 100 Feet Minimum Lot Frontage 100 Feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Residential lots in the Rural Residential (RR) district in the unincorporated portion of Georgetown township.
      “Minimum Lot Area 37,000 Square Feet Minimum Lot Width 100 Feet Minimum Lot Frontage 100 Feet”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed in a floodplain site in the unincorporated portion of Georgetown township for more than 180 days.

    • A recreational vehicle on site for less than 180 days must be fully licensed and ready for highway use, on its wheels or system, connected only by quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, with no permanently attached additions.
    • A vehicle on site longer than 180 days must meet the manufactured-home requirements in the floodplain section.
    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.

    long-term site duration: > 180 days (Floodplain standards address vehicles installed or substantially improved on a site for more than 180 days.)

    “Recreational vehicles placed on a site shall either: 1) be on site for less than 180 days; and, 2) be fully licensed and ready for highway use (defined as being on its wheels or system, is attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached additions); or 3) meet the requirements for “manufactured homes” as stated earlier in this section.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    On-site sewage systems inside Georgetown township administered by the Floyd County Health Department.

    • Commercial systems may involve the Indiana Department of Health, and the Floyd County Health Department has jurisdiction when delegated or determined by the state.
    • The county health program is governed by Rule 410 IAC 6-8.3 and local ordinances.
    “Our department issues permit and conducts inspections”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Residential on-site sewage construction, installation, replacement, alteration, repair, or addition inside Georgetown township under Floyd County Health Department jurisdiction.

    • A soil evaluation is required when a soil absorption field is installed or modified.
    • Applications must use department forms, contain required information, and include the applicable fee.
    • A department site survey inspection must occur before permit issuance.
    • New construction permits become void two years after issuance unless the stated start/completion exception applies; repair/replacement permits become void one year after issuance unless the stated start/completion exception applies.
    “Applications for permits for the construction, installation, replacement, alteration, repair of, or addition to”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Residential and commercial on-site sewage systems inside Georgetown township under Floyd County Health Department jurisdiction.

    • A site survey inspection must be conducted before a construction permit is issued.
    • Markings such as flags or stakes must identify system components.
    • The ordinance provides for site inspections during construction and permits final re-inspection fees under the county fee schedule.
    “A site survey inspection must be conducted by the department.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    Residential development in the Floyd County Agricultural-Residential (AR) and Rural Residential (RR) districts in the unincorporated portion of Georgetown township.

    • Public water connection is required in both AR and RR.
    • Either septic or sanitary sewer may be used in both AR and RR.
    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.
    “Water Requires connection to public water”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Floyd County building permits and inspections applicable in the county-administered portion of Georgetown township.

    • Fee schedule is marked effective August 1, 2024.
    • Fees vary by project type and square footage.
    • Inspection is $50 per inspection; re-inspection is $75 residential and $180 commercial/industrial.
    • Starting construction before permit issuance incurs twice the permit amount.

    single/two-family base fee: 200 USD (plus $0.15 per square foot of floor area) · inspection fee: 50 USD

    “$200 base fee plus $.15 per square foot of floor area”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential building-permit process in the county-administered portion of Georgetown township.

    • Applications may be submitted online or in person.
    • Required materials include health approval or sewer tap-in receipt, site plan, deed or purchase contract, and building plans.
    • Manufactured homes require HUD data-plate/data-label or Indiana insignia materials and pier-layout tie-down/anchoring specifications.
    • The county zoning ordinance excludes incorporated Georgetown.
    “Applications are completed using a pdf document and can be submitted online or in person. Applications require the below listed attachments.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Georgetown Township or Floyd County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from building permits or inspections inside Georgetown township.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption applicable to land inside Georgetown township where Floyd County administers building services.
  • Local zoning — Whether Georgetown township itself adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Georgetown township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Georgetown township.
4 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Georgetown Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Floyd County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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